Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-02-12

THE other day an enthusiastic young &C.
quaintance burst In upon me with the start
ling question I" Have you seen the new |
novel by the author Of ben Hur - OF
course hadn't 1 didn't know It was out
yet "oh, yes I've just finished reading
IL rssplendid Enjoyed it almos, ss much
~ Ben Bur.' Its called THE Fair God,' and
treats Of the time of the conquest of Mexico"
My unsophisticaied young friend didn't
seem to appreciate being laughed AT, but
could not help smiling audibly anyhow, "a,
to satisfy him, took down from It's shell
copy OF the book, printed about twelve years
ago, and showed him the legend, "Entered
| according to Act OF Congress-" in the year
| 1878, &c., on the reverse of the title page ]
| assured him, moreover, that the book bad
passed through thirty one editions up to the
present time
| In one sense OF the word, however, this
first novel OF Gen. Lew Wallace Is q new
| book-new to thousands and tens OF thou
sands For, like maay another excellent |
| work, in fact, like several OF the great mas
terpieces of literature, the great merits OF |
The Fair God have lain unspprecisted by |
the mass Of readers of fiction, recognized only
by the more critical aud select few, until the
sudden popularity OF the longer "Ben Hur,'
written ten years after, anew directed popu.
| lar attention to it since then the demand
for the earlier novel has been keeping pace
with the phenomenal and steadily growing
| popularity OF the latter. SO that there nave
actually been more than again as many eIi.
tions Of /" The Fair God F" sold In the last two
and half years than In the ten aud a-hslf or
eleven preceding To the general reader OF
. fiction the book is like a new discovery, "a 1t
! was to my young friend just referred TO.
AS compare g en-. Wallace's two works,
a fail satisfactorily to account for the popular
a choice Of the later one as the hrst favoriie
1 | Partly no doubt the universal popularity Of
5 its subj bjsct--A Tale OF the Christ-ccnduced
Q 10 it. But this does not seem to I've enough.
| And the fact that 1t is superior in some re
n spects TO " The Fair God " from purely lit
o erary point of view Is, l think, pretty nearly
o | counter balanced by the circumstance that
= | the latter has the popular advantage OF being
y somewhat shorter than i" Ben Hur,' having
10 more closely connected and easily followed
a plot and abounding Ill more stirring aetien
4. and pathetic, well as tragic, scenes and in.
le cidents. These are qualities that would lead
N one to expect immediate popularity ior IL
Or While the real merits OF the book are ceT'
II taiuly such to make 1t deserve all the favor
q, | Il has and will continue to have
be IuAvE an idea that the difference in treat
81 ment from the public experienced by these
n two novels is simply an illustration, or rather
a a proof, OF the change, and change for the
I'd better, that has come over the popular liter
10 ary taste within the last decade. "The Fair
n. God " was ahead OF the times tv nearly a
OF dozen years. There was no demand for or
10 appreciation Of ths better kind Of historical
r. novel when it appeared. The popular taste
III had advanced no farther than Mrs. Muhl-
OF bachs pseudohistorical stuff, perhaps had
IT been vitiated by It II Ebers i" Uards " and
Its successors themselves had been put upon
OF the American market when "The Fair
W God " was, as likely ss not they too would
ID have been neglected. Blu, In great degree
X, through them popular sentiment and taste
n, were gradually Changed and improved.
IS And when few years ago Ben Hur " ap-
" peared. the times were rips, the general read
* ing public was ready to rate it at its true
Id | worth, indeed was ready, as has since been
sf, | shown, to atone for its past mistake by sc.
cording ever increasing favor and praise to
cd the object of its past neglect, ''The Fair God
'ts born out OF due time
in TIE great merit Of Gen. Wallsce two his
~ H,r torical novels is that they are really histor
ue N ical, which cannot be said OF every book Ia
"a | beed " historical" Gen. Wallace evidently
ID. goes about his work conscientiously, deliber
lu ately, honestly. He Is more anxious to gel
Ct his facts correct-his heroes accurately and
ne consistently characterized, dressed, armed
y. | housed and piaced--than to see his books In
'e print and for sale. By this means he has
W. succeeded in giving US in The Fair Sod v
rs | q thoroughly reliable, and At the same time
ne Intensely interesting account OF the mode o.
90 life, domestic, political, religious, military
zee rs also OF the historic course OF events, during
re that early period Of Spanish daring anl
W. Spanish fendishness OF which the book
treats, during the conquest OF Mexico by
Cortez. 1t is true, the student can get tht
ID, same facts where Gen. Wallace got them, IL
10 | Prescotts volumes on " The Conquest r.
~, Mexico" But the general novel resiel
nu won't He prefers, il he takes history at all
II to take II mixed, well spiCsd and seasoned
ey and Ia portions not too large and bulky
Il. il xhaP4 ha yf psay yxrit 0F
,ls, | real historical novel comes in. To make
ali mixture that shall yet preserve the identity
lch and integrity OF the component parts, 81
ful | that fact and fiction, reality and romance
air not only need not, bat shall not be con
nd founded 10y even the careless reader AnC
Ter that art, It appears to me, Gen. Wallac,
ry shows himself, IN "The Fair God " no les
in than in /" Ben Hur," to be master of to a rs
OF | markable degree. That's why l recommenC
is people who won't read Prescott to read Wal
ed lace. 1t is certainly the next best thing. J
sd coated pill. If you won't read the Who'll,
Is text oi a book, at least look At the illustra
ps tions- II you won't read pure history, reac
he the mixture, II honestly made, called the his
torical novel.
Or. But such advice is hardly needed in thi
m. case First, because everybody il readint
it "The Fair God" And secondly, becaus,
lis history is becoming favorite study, Is al
he most enjoying boom" just now. Lool
Sh | month to month for the last few years apC
he 300 whether am not correct 1t Is, in fact
nd the natural thing in the course OF our ma
re | tonal development America Is arriving a
he | that age when she realizes that there il ,
"a. | past to be studied as well as q future to b<
nd | worked out, and that the former is essentis
IDr to the latter The older an individual or {
re nation grows, the more reminiscent 1t be
er comes 1t Is a sure mark, not only OF ad
vancing years, but also aud just az surely O
Ia. | growth In sense.
or
,ol lr Is upon this Psychological and sociolog
ep zeal fact, more than upon anything else, tina
so ] base my hopes for the psrmsnencs aud sue
Its cess for the Lancaster County Historical So
~, csety. Oar county 10 OF sge-iully 1t ha,
sl reached the period when one remembers al
well as hopes, and perhaps hopes more
RI wisely for remembering more carefully. II
oy IL fast becoming conscious OF the fact that Il
he Is not only one OF the wealthiest counties In
nd the state and In the Union, so far as mater ial
eL resources and comforts are concerned, bui
Iis also one of the richest in the materials out o
a which history Is made, and honor and dig
nifty are won. And believe it is also beg IN
% ming to reslizs that the latter are az desirable
ep and important as the former.
ps .
"a. As soon a. this Is full y realized and appr O.